Gemma Triay has become the most decorated woman in the history of padel. Partnering Delfina Brea, she recovered from a set down to beat Ariana Sánchez and Andrea Ustero 3-6, 6-1, 6-1 in the final of the Premier Padel Kuwait Major in Kuwait City. The victory gave her a 59th career title.
A slow start, then two one-sided sets
Both pairs arrived short of rest. Triay and Brea's semifinal the previous day had lasted 3 hours 4 minutes, while Sánchez and Ustero's ran to 3 hours 45 minutes, and both matches finished after 11 pm. Even so, both sides opened the final with energy.
Sánchez and Ustero began the faster and raced to a 3-0 lead, forcing their rivals to respond. Triay and Brea broke back to level at 3-3, regaining serve in the fifth game. Their opponents broke once more to take the opening set 6-3.
The match turned in the second set. A break in the fourth game gave Triay and Brea a 4-1 lead, and a Sánchez double fault at a delicate moment handed them a further break at 5-1. They served out the set 6-1 to force a decider.
The third set followed the same shape. Triay and Brea broke early and held control as Sánchez grew erratic and Ustero could not find consistency. At 4-1 their coach, Ángel González, urged them to trust their own game, and they closed out a final that lasted 1 hour 56 minutes.
Past Salazar and Sánchez, into the record books
The win moved Triay to 59 titles, passing the 58 she had shared with Alejandra Salazar and Ariana Sánchez. Sport.es called it an absolute record, while Marca framed it more narrowly as the most by any player since the PPT era. Marca credited Triay's longevity and her ability to stay at the top across different generations and partners.
The title was the pair's seventh of the season and their second Major, ending a run of four tournaments without a win. Their previous trophy had come in Madrid in early September, almost two months earlier. The result also strengthens their bid for the year-end world number one ranking.
